Communications connector having crosstalk compensation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communications connector comprising an internal circuit board having a plurality of circuit board layers that include a plurality of capacitive and inductive devices that counteract the crosstalk created by a first other connector mated to the communications connector. In addition, the communications connector comprises an internal fanout assembly mounted to the internal circuit board that has a plurality of conductors arranged so as to form a compensation area that counteracts crosstalk created by a second other connector mated to the communications connector. The circuit board can comprise at least one capacitive device provided on its outer surface that is manually reducible in size so as to adjust the amount of capacitance created therewith such that the amount of crosstalk compensation provided by the circuit board can be adjusted.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A communications connector having internal crosstalk compensation, said connector comprising: 
       an internal circuit board having a plurality of circuit board layers that include a plurality of capacitive and inductive devices that counteract the crosstalk created by a first other connector mated to said communications connector, said circuit board thereby comprising a first crosstalk compensation region; and  
       an internal fanout assembly mounted to said internal circuit board, said fanout assembly having a plurality of conductors arranged so as to form a compensation area that counteracts crosstalk created by a second other connector mated to said communications connector, said fanout assembly thereby comprising a second crosstalk compensation region.  
     
     
       2. The connector of claim  1 , wherein said fanout assembly includes a compensation region in which said conductors are arranged within substantially the same plane in close proximity to each other to produce the compensating crosstalk used to counteract the crosstalk created by the second other connector. 
     
     
       3. The connector of claim  1 , wherein the first other connector is a modular plug having four pairs of conductors and said internal circuit board provides capacitive and inductive compensation to the first and third pairs of conductors to counteract the crosstalk created therebetween. 
     
     
       4. The connector of claim  3 , wherein said capacitive and inductive compensation is produced by a two-stage compensation circuit. 
     
     
       5. The connector of claim  1 , wherein said internal circuit board includes means for adjusting the amount of crosstalk compensation provided by said circuit board. 
     
     
       6. The connector of claim  5 , wherein said means for adjusting the amount of crosstalk compensation provided by said internal circuit board comprises at least one trimmable capacitive plate mounted to an exterior surface of said circuit board. 
     
     
       7. The connector of claim  1 , wherein said internal circuit board further includes a plurality of capacitive devices used to counteract the crosstalk created by the second other connector. 
     
     
       8. The connector of claim  7 , wherein said plurality of capacitive devices comprises intertigitated conductor fingers electrically connected to the second other connector. 
     
     
       9. The connector of claim  1 , wherein the second other connector is a 25 pair connector and said internal fanout assembly has 25 conductor pairs that are adapted to electrically connect to the 25 pair connector. 
     
     
       10. The connector of claim  9 , wherein said internal fanout assembly is mounted in a diagonal orientation with respect to said internal circuit board such that the 25 pair connector connects to said communications connector in a diagonal orientation. 
     
     
       11. A patch distribution module for electrically coupling at least one modular plug to a multiple pair connector, said module comprising: 
       an outer housing composed of a dielectric material;  
       at least one connector jack adapted to electrically connect to the at least one modular plug;  
       an internal fanout assembly having a plurality of conductors arranged so as to form a compensation area that counteracts crosstalk created by the multiple pair connector; and  
       an internal circuit board electrically connected to both said at least one connector jack and said internal fanout assembly, said circuit board having a plurality of circuit board layers that include a plurality of capacitive and inductive devices that counteract the crosstalk created by the at least one modular plug.  
     
     
       12. The connector of claim  11 , wherein the multiple pair connector is a 25 pair connector and said internal fanout assembly has 25 conductor pairs that are adapted to electrically connect to the 25 pair connector. 
     
     
       13. The connector of claim  11 , wherein said internal fanout assembly includes a compensation region in which said conductors are arranged within substantially the same plane in close proximity to each other to produce the compensating crosstalk produced within said fanout assembly. 
     
     
       14. The module of claim  11 , wherein said internal circuit board comprises a component side and a wiring side, said at least one connector jack being mounted to said circuit board on said component side and said internal fanout assembly being mounted to said circuit board on said wiring side. 
     
     
       15. The module of claim  14 , wherein said internal fanout assembly is mounted to said internal circuit board in a diagonal orientation. 
     
     
       16. The module of claim  11 , wherein the modular plug has four pairs of conductors and said internal circuit board provides capacitive and inductive compensation to the first and third pairs of conductors to counteract the crosstalk created therebetween. 
     
     
       17. The module of claim  16 , wherein said capacitive and inductive compensation is produced by a two-stage compensation circuit. 
     
     
       18. The connector of claim  11 , wherein said internal circuit board includes means for adjusting the amount of crosstalk compensation provided by said circuit board. 
     
     
       19. The connector of claim  18 , wherein said means for adjusting the amount of crosstalk compensation provided by said internal circuit board comprises at least one trimmable capacitive plate mounted to an exterior surface of said circuit board. 
     
     
       20. The connector of claim  11 , wherein said internal circuit board further includes a plurality of capacitive devices used to counteract the crosstalk created by the multiple pair connector. 
     
     
       21. The connector of claim  20 , wherein said plurality of capacitive devices comprises interdigitated conductor fingers electrically connected to the multiple pair connector. 
     
     
       22. A crosstalk compensating circuit board, comprising: 
       a plurality of circuit board layers including a component side and a wiring side, each of said component and wiring sides having an outer surface;  
       a plurality of capacitive devices provided on said circuit board layers; and  
       at least one capacitive device provided on said outer surface of at least one of said component and wiring sides, said at least one capacitive device being arranged so as to produce a predetermined capacitance in conjunction with at least one of said plurality of capacitive devices provided on said circuit board layers, said at least one capacitive device further being manually reducible in size so as to adjust the amount of capacitance created therewith such that the amount of crosstalk compensation provided by said crosstalk compensation circuit board can be adjusted.  
     
     
       23. The circuit board of claim  22 , wherein said at least one capacitive device comprises a capacitive plate. 
     
     
       24. The circuit board of claim  23 , wherein said capacitive plate is reducible by physically trimming said plate. 
     
     
       25. A method for adjusting the amount of crosstalk compensation produced by conductor pairs of a connector, said method including the steps of: 
       electrically connecting the conductor pairs to a multi-layered circuit board having a component side outer surface and a wiring side outer surface;  
       providing at least one of the layers of the circuit board with at least one capacitive device;  
       providing at least one capacitive device on the outer surface of at least one of the component and wiring sides, the at least one capacitive device being arranged so as to produce a predetermined capacitance in conjunction with the at least one capacitive device provided on at least one of the circuit board layers when a signal is transmitted through the conductor pairs; and  
       adjusting the size of the at least one capacitive device on the outer surface so as to adjust the amount of capacitance created within the circuit board such that the amount of crosstalk compensation provided to said conductor pairs.  
     
     
       26. The method of claim  25 , wherein the at least one capacitive device on the outer surface comprises a capacitive plate. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim  26 , wherein the step of adjusting the size of the capacitive plate is accomplished by physically trimming the plate.